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While it is not always possible to recover corrupted files in the event of a data loss, image files on your hard drive can generally be restored. Some programs may corrupt an image's file name -- in which case you will need to manually rename the file in Windows Explorer. Common image files, such as a JPEG image formatted with a .jpg extension, can be opened using Windows Paint. If these methods are not effective, you may also consider using a third-party recovery program to repair your corrupted images.

Rename File

1.

Press "Windows-E" to open Windows Explorer.

2.

Navigate to the location where your corrupted JPEG is stored. For example, your "Pictures" library.

3.

Right-click the file, and then click "Rename." Enter a new name for the image and then press "Enter" to save the change.

4.

Double-click on the renamed file to open it with your default program. Alternatively, right-click on the file, click "Open With" and then select a program to open the image with.

Open With Paint

1.

Press the "Windows" key to open the Windows Start screen, type "Paint" (without the quotations) and then click "Paint" from the search results.

2.

Click the "File" menu, and then click "Open."

3.

Navigate to the location on your hard drive where the corrupted JPEG is stored.

4.

Select the image, and then click the "Open" button. If the image opens correctly in Paint, your file is most likely not corrupted. Save the file to your computer and attempt to open it with another program.

Recovery Application

1.

Open a recovery application on your computer (see links in Resources).

2.

Click the option to locate or add a corrupted image. For example, click "File" and then click "Open Picture." This method will vary with different applications and you may need to follow the instructions and select a destination directory for recovered files.

Resources (3)

About the Author

Located in Denver, Chad Davis has been writing about technology for more than 10 years. He is a technical writer for information technology and product development. Davis provides grant writing and marketing services to small businesses. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in professional writing from the University of New Mexico.